Best practices for assessing competence and performance of the behavioral Health workforce

Abstract

The need for mechanisms to assess the competence and performance of the behavioral health workforce has received increasing attention. This article reviews strategies used in general medicine and other disciplines for assessing trainees and practitioners. The possibilities and limitations of various approaches are reviewed, and the implications for behavioral health are addressed. A conceptual model of competence is presented, and practical applications of this model are reviewed. Finally, guidelines are proposed for building competency assessment protocols for behavioral health.

Dr. El-gohary blueprint matrix: A practical application purported to be a simple guide for academics to design robust formative multiple choice questions midterm exams

“…14,15 Furthermore, academics confirmed that the blueprint helps in ensuring that analysis, evaluation, and synthesis skills are covered. 2,9,16 Academics reported that test blueprint served as a map to establish the total weightage for each content domain and proportion of test items assigned for each sub-category of a test according to modified Bloom's taxonomy. 7,17,18 Academics are in agreement that efforts put in having good blueprint improves test content validity which improves score interpretation.…”

“…20 MCQs exams that satisfy the difficulty and discrimination indices are considered as well-structured and can reliably be administered on large scale to students as well as health care providers. 1,2,21,22 There is consensus among academics that the level of difficulty should be considered when designing the blueprint since the objectives needed from courses taught at early years of study emphasizes on knowledge acquisition while the objectives at the end of the program emphasizes on critical thinking skills. 12,13,23,24 Therefore, the MCQs exam should have a higher percentage of questions in the analysisevaluation and evaluation-synthesis spectrum.…”

“…It organizes the process of test development to best reflect the essential elements of competency for the profession being assessed. [1][2][3] It specifies the proportion belongs to each content area and the proportion of each level of the cognitive dimension. These proportions indicate the relative importance of different content area to represent the competency and capabilities needed.…”

“…It also helps in determining the alignments of learning objectives, teaching strategies and assessment techniques. [1][2][3][4] Academics are always either using formative or summative exams. Formative exams denote a quiz administered during the course while summative exams denote a test administered at the end of the course which is considered as the final exam.…”

Multiple choice questions exams: Guiding principles to develop exam designing skills among novice and inexperienced academics

“…The standardized written MCQs exams are considered as the gold standard to assess the knowledge acquisition. [1][2][3][4][5] The licensure or certifying boards, in every particular field speciality, are responsible for developing and administering the MCQs exams. The MCQs exams could be administered on paper or delivered on a computer.…”